Far Cry 3 - Madness
by maggi3magpi3
Summary: You're won't find your vacation on Rook Islands... unless you're Terra. Follow the transformation of a young woman, from reject to right hand of the King. Will Terra turn on her captor? Or will she become something worse?
1. Chapter 1

**"I wish I hadn't cried so much," **

**said Alice as she swam about, trying to find her way out, **

**"I shall be punished for it now, I suppose, **

**by being drowned in my own tears!" -Lewis Carroll**

Grenade smoke wafted through Terra's hair as she stepped through the scattered wreckage of a truck and pulled two limp bodies from their unbuckled seats. The dumbasses didn't realize she had tossed a grenade in their backseat as they passed each other. She set them out on the road and crouched to sift through their pockets. She pulled out a wallet from the man's back pocket and smirked at the stack of bills, mostly twenties. The fucker must have thought he was going to resupply or trade with the next village. It might've been for food, but also could've been for weapons and ammo. Either way, the natives had to go. It was just a coincidence that it was really fun to blow shit up.

"Alright. We're done here." She waved the stack in front of Vaas' nose and hopped on the passenger side of the jeep. He floored it, smirking as he felt the thump of two bodies under the tires.

"You done? How much does a sniper even cost?"

She flipped through the bills with her thumb, "the best ones? A lot. Let's get back." Hoyt's suppliers didn't just give these snipers away, especially to new recruits, so Terra had to take it upon herself to raise the money. She finally had enough and was eager to get her hands on one.  
Vaas looked over at her and the sun falling behind the ocean... sometimes it was hard to imagine what she was like before all this.

"Take a picture Vaas, it'll last longer."

"Fuck you, perra." He smirked, setting his eyes back on the road. They pulled into the compound and the music was already blasting. She stared at the entrance with a pensive eye, absently humming the bass line. Vaas opened his door and saw she wasn't moving.

"Eh! The fuck you doing?"

Her mood had changed and she stared at the compound with an uneasiness, "I dunno, Vaas ... I hate this place."  
He leaned against the door frame, an impatient tension growing between them, "Terra, just get the fuck out."  
She sighed, clenching the wad of cash tighter, "No."

"Why are you testing me? What the fuck do I have to do?"

"I'm tired of these assholes treating me like I'm some stripper. I've made my kills. You fucking trained me, personally, and they still think they can slap my ass, or whistle at me. It takes every fucking muscle not to shoot them all in the crotch."

"Fucking christ, Terra. Who gives a fuck?"  
Before he could stop her she threw the stack of cash expertly at his face, pissing him off.

"I give a fuck, Vaas! That's it, give me the key." She held out her hand expectantly, waving her fingers. Her rubbed the bridge of his nose and seethed with anger,

"All I fucking do for you… I fucking give you everything, and you treat me like shit."

"No, no, don't turn this around-"

"Well, GUESS WHAT, Terra? You don't get to blame the ground for hurting when you fucking let yourself fall. You're on my island. I'm the king, and you work for me, or you can go fuck yourself."

"Ha. That's rich, Vaas. What, should I thank you for not shoving a bullet through my skull? For not for not slaughtering me like an animal? Oh, thank you so much! You're the best." Her sarcasm deepened his irritation and his words spewed like venom.

"You were NOTHING!" He banged his fist onto the hood and she jumped a little, "You wanted me to kill you 'cause you knew you were fucking useless. I _saved_ you, perra, so put on a fucking smile and get the fuck inside before I drag you by your hair."  
Dark, challenging shadows danced around her eyes and she opened her door.

"Finally!" He said and started marching toward the compound. She slammed her door and walked in the opposite direction towards the jungle.

"You FUCK!" He started charging toward her like a bull but she didn't bother to run or even look back. She knew he was stronger, but she felt confident he wouldn't hurt her. But then again, it wasn't beneath him. He tugged her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. "I'm really trying, you know, but I'm starting to wonder if you're even worth it."  
She looked down, a sliver of guilt flashing across her eyes. "I'm sorry, I just… I'm trying to adjust."

"Christ, hermana." He smiled, relieved he finally tamed her, "you fucking bipolar? Come here," he pulled her into his arm and she wrapped hers around his muscular waist and they started walking back. Vaas really had a soft spot for her. She had once been just another reject, but he decided to make something useful out of her instead, and he was proud of his work. "Listen, I'll make you a deal. You can shoot the next guy who whistles at you in the balls, but you have to promise me something."  
She looked up at him, "and what would that be?"

"You come with me tomorrow. I want to see if you're ready to really get out there. Maybe I'll even let you use a real gun."

"Oh, I don't know if you're ready for that, hermano." She teased, mimicking a Spanish accent.  
They entered the compound together and saw the others partying casually, drugs and drinks getting passed out. They both got by relatively unnoticed and Vaas went his way to get high while Terra went down the hall to her room where she crashed on the bed. She started thinking about Vaas. She felt a mixture of everything. Odi et amo, as they say. The day they met she was a reject, not even good enough for the slave trade. Too much of a temper, they said, she wouldn't last long. He was about to shoot her in the head when he looked in her eyes and saw the emptiness. So he tucked the pistol back into his belt. Perhaps he thought of her as a challenge, or a game. Maybe he saw potential. Either way, he realized that she wanted him to shoot her, but he wasn't going to let her get by that easy.

"You think you're ready to go? You think you've had enough of this world, huh?" He asked, almost insulted. She didn't move, she didn't blink… she just stared at him, hollow.  
He leaned in real close so that he could whisper and gain intensity. "You're on my island now. This is my little strip of paradise, okay? I can't have your shitty attitude pissing all over my sunshine."  
Still, she didn't stir. As if she was just waiting for the end. He pulled out a handful of bullets from his pocket and held out his palm, "These bullets aren't free you know, I don't just hand them out to FUCKERS who don't want them!" He gripped her arm with his free hand and shoved her off the platform into the dirt where the dogs began barking eagerly for a meal and Vaas' men started cheering. She didn't notice that the fall had broken her arm, but she felt it go numb and wondered why. Vaas hopped down beside her, smiling.

"So, what to do hermana? How can I help you? What can I do to make you happy?"  
The way he said it, as if there was some solution, really made her furious. She glared up at him through matted white hair and shadowy eyes,

"Put a bullet through my skull. End it. Don't waste your time."  
To her surprise he started giggling, as if she just told him some joke. Through fits of laughter he spoke, "Wow! That's that's the worst thing I ever heard," he paused to regain his composure, "you really need a therapist." He stood up and circled around her, "good news though. I'm the next best thing. You know, I hope you packed a toothbrush...on my island there is no easy way out."

Vaas was her worst nightmare, yet her best friend. How did that work out, she thought, and drifted into a heavy sleep.

Terra woke with a start. Vaas was hovering over her and she almost punched him in the face.

"Fuck!"

He laughed, "Chill! It's just me, hermana. We got to go, get the fuck up."

"I thought I locked my door." She sat up and rubbed her eyes. He wiggled a chain of keys in front of her and she sighed with disapproval.

"Where are we going?"

"You forget? You're coming with me." He opened her door and lingered in the frame. "Look your best, brush your hair for once, fuck." He teased and she threw a pillow at him.  
She began fixing herself up and kicked Vaas out so she could change. She slipped on a pair of brown shorts, a black tank top, and a pair of dirty, worn leather boots where she hid a few knives and strapped on a belt where she could holster a pistol.  
She ran her fingers through her hair and tied it back in a ponytail and recalled how Vaas once nearly tore out her hair during training to teach her a lesson. God, it was hard to love that fucker.

She opened her door and Vaas was waiting patiently. His eyes flashed across her momentarily with a hint of wonderment. She really was beautiful. If she wasn't so stubborn and cold, he could've made a lot of money off of her. But fate had other things in store for his little reject.

"Alright, let's fucking go already." He said and pushed her forward down the hall. A lot of the pirates were still drowsy and hung over, but Vaas' entrance alerted them.

"You FUCKS! I don't pay you to fuck around!"

They started moving grudgingly. One guy kept an eye on Terra, making her itch under her skin.  
Her hand hovered over the pistol on her belt. Vaas left her temporarily to give out orders, and she stood uncomfortably against a wall, her eyes scanning the compound.  
A few men passing by grinned at her with yellow teeth, and one of them was particularly brave.

"You Vaas' entertainment?" He asked, leaning against the wall next to her. She fumed and imagined her face had turned beet red.

"You fucking new here?" She asked, her posture imposing despite her small frame.

"Yeah, why don't you - give me a tour." He reached for her waist but she twisted his wrist, the cartilage popping, and pulled her gun on him.

It was time to make an example.

"Listen up, fuckers!" She dragged him to the center of the courtyard and everyone was watching. He whined with pain. "Randy here thinks I'm the entertainment. So, I'll put on a show!"  
She aimed her gun and shot his knee and he screamed. A few gasped or cursed while others stared in awe.

"My name is Terra Madness. You've all seen me around. I know you have because you fuckers can't stop staring, like I'm some fucking alien. Well, I am here to tell you that I am not a stripper, a prostitute, whore, or slave. I am a _pirate_." With little to no expression she pointed her gun at his crotch and pulled the trigger and many cringed and looked away, feeling his pain. The man screamed viciously and fell into shock as he bled out on the concrete. It was music to her ears.  
She put the pistol back into her belt and walked away, as if nothing happened. But on the inside she was exhilarated, _alive_. Vaas caught up to her at the entrance of the compound, a proud gleam in his eye.

"I see you took up my offer. Next thing you know they'll be feeding you grapes off the vine."

"That's your job, Vaas." She joked.

"Yeah, in your fucking dreams, perra."

"The good ones." She winked and followed him into the jeep once more. They were off to see the new product and sort out the money makers from the rejects.

**Hi! My name is Maggie and this is my first story ever on this website so let me know what you like and what you don't! :) I'll really appreciate any feedback. I'd say this was pretty experimental to me, so I'm definitely up for suggestions on plot or any other ideas. I'm also still trying to figure out this website so bear with me, and let me know if you want to read more.**


	2. Chapter 2

**"Truth is everybody is  
going to hurt you: you just  
gotta find the ones worth  
suffering for." -Bob Marley**

**Before:**  
Terra opened two swollen black eyes and felt her entire body ache. The sun beat down on her and she could already feel her skin burn at the slightest movement. How long had she been out? From what she could remember, it was morning when she came out here. The sun said it was around noon, which meant she'd been baking in the sand for hours. Piece by piece she reformed her memories and remembered what happened. This was the aftermath of Vaas' "training" sessions.  
Vaas, a man twice her size in muscle alone, beat down on her until she found a way to fight back or escape. But she couldn't. She was too small and too weak and too slow, and so she paid the price. She dreamed about that bullet on the reject stage.

"Ay! Awake, I see. Ready for round two?" Vaas said, and she turned her head to see him criss-cross in the sand, making a sand castle with childish interest. Her throat was too dry to even speak, but he waited for a reply.

He placed a small shell on the top of his work, wiped the sand off his hands and looked at her with an insulted glance,"What? Was it something I said? Why won't you answer me, hermana, huh?"

He waited a few more seconds before he really got pissed. Slamming his fist against the castle, the sand sprayed over her and for a moment she thought she saw a human head in its place. He grabbed her shirt, slightly lifting her up.

With all her strength she managed to get a few words out,"-enough... enough, please."

He chuckled, "No... don't fucking beg. You have to learn, or you will never survive here. You have to learn, hermana, or you go back to the start... a worthless, American bitch who no one gave a shit about... I want to help you, Terra. Let me help you become something great," he said.

That was the moment she began to admire the darkness despite her deepest urges not to. Perhaps this really was her chance to start over. Perhaps all the pain in the world was better than than wanting that bullet.

"Okay." She said. He seemed surprised.

"Okay?" He confirmed.

"Okay." She said again and forced herself to sit up.

"That's my girl. Here," he handed her water and a fruit. "Enjoy." He smirked as she chugged it down and then stuffed the split open pomegranate into her face like it was cake.

**Now:** They arrived at the camp with the new shipments. Terra hopped out and kept close to Vaas as they entered a shack filled  
with the hostages. In total there were ten people. Seven belonged together, and the other three were alone. Their wrists were all tied up above their heads, and many were sniffling or whining with fear. Vaas took a gun from one of the men and handed it to Terra. She awkwardly adjusted to the weight and threw the strap over her shoulder. Another man gave Vaas an update. While screening the hostages Terra half heard something about skydivers. Who the fuck would sky dive onto Rook Islands?

"Terra?" A weak voice asked. It was one of the hostages, at the very end of the line up. And he recognized her. Her heart raced and stared at the man. Dark, brown hair - rich blue eyes... this was her boyfriend. Memories flashed back of them racing through the jungle as gunshots fired behind them. A hound had grabbed her ankle and she fell while he kept going, not even looking back.

With more confidence he spoke to her, "You gotta help me Terra, I came back for you." Panicked hope shook his voice, as if he had a shot out of this. She stood frozen as Vaas figured out what was happening.

"Wait - wait, wait, wait. You _know_ him?"

She gulped nervously, "yeah...should I, can I talk to him?"

"Anything you wanna say to him you can say to all of us."

"Fine..." She approached the broken man and clenched her rifle like a safety blanket. "Zed, what are you doing here?"

"I came back for you, baby. What's going on, are - are you one of them?" He took a closer look at her. She was so different. Her eyes were sullen, her muscles were tone, and there were large discolored bruises and scabbed cuts wherever her skin showed. It was like she just walked out of a post-apocalyptic movie.  
She answered with a short nod and his head tilted.

"But - but why? You have to go home, everyone's worried sick."

"SHUT UP!" She swung her gun into his stomach and he lost his breath. The complete shock of the situation fell over him and disbelieving tears began to linger in his eyes. His Terra was a monster.

"It's too late! You're too fucking late!" She roared and did everything she could to prevent Vaas and others from seeing hot tears that threatened to flood over. Her voice became choked, "No one came for me, no one fucking cared! You all left me here to rot! I thought... I thought my life was worth something... but this island has opened my eyes. I - I see right through you, Zed. I see everything so fucking clear now."

"Terra," Vaas put his hand on her shoulder. She flipped around, almost about to hit him, but his relaxed presence restored her to a mild state, "you have to kill him."

She blinked and felt a fear creep into her throat.

"Don't be a pussy, you can do it." Vaas helped her position her hands around the rifle and aimed it at Zed. He whispered into her ear, sending a shiver down her back, "all you have to do ... is pull the fucking trigger. This fucker didn't even come for you, he's lying through his teeth. All he wants is to save his skin. Just pull the trigger."

It was like Vaas was a snake charmer, seducing her into a dark trance. _He doesn't care about me... he never did. He's a liar. _she told herself and started to move her finger over the trigger.

"That's it." Vaas said, a sly smirk aimed at Zed as if to assert what was his now. "Shoot him."

It all happened at once. Gunshots rang out and Zed went limp after gurgling blood for a moment, and then Terra fell to her knees, a high ring in her ear drowning out the world around her.

"Nice, chica! That wasn't so hard, was it! Terra?"

She stared at Zed with the same blank expression she had when Vaas first met her. One shot to the throat, two shots in the gut. Three shots he deserved.

Vaas crouched in front of her and waved his hand over her glazed eyes.

"If he wasn't here for me, why did he come back?" She asked abruptly, still staring at the bleeding body. Cautiously, one of Vaas' men reached in his pockets, pulling out a map of Rook Islands. There were specific 'x's marked across it, a treasure map of some sort...

"This was on him when we caught him. He must've found this on his way out and thought he could make a buck off a few relics."  
Money... it was always about money with that fucker.

Her fists tightened and she felt nothing but resentment slowly burn in the center of her chest.

"Hey! Look at me!" Vaas yelled, tipping her chin up to look him in the eyes, "Fuck him. You're one of us now. I take care of you. Not him. "

Vaas had a twisted definition of "care" . He was sadistic and murderous and insane. Yet... she was drawn toward him and his dark kingdom. She liked the way it felt to be strong, to have gone through real shit and come out on top. Here, she had grown into a dangerous weapon, and Vaas controlled the trigger.

Without thinking, she leaned forward and brought their lips together. For once Vaas was caught off guard, but he didn't resist.  
Her lips felt right on his, like water hitting the tongue on a hot day. _Refreshing._ She pulled away, shocked at what she had just done. How would he react? She feared the worst and shrank, but nothing happened.

"Fuck." Vaas sighed and stared at her."You're fucking crazy, Terra." He said after a long pause. She rose, cheeks burning, and felt the urge to run away forever. She had just made an idiot out of herself and now the pirates would go back to not taking her seriously. What the fuck was she thinking?

"I'll wait outside." She said with her back turned and slammed the rotted wood door behind her. But instead of waiting she threw her rifle on the ground and pulled out a wad of cash. She was going to get her sniper, and maybe some weed. _Anything_ to distract her from all this shit.

**sorry if the phrasing is a little strange or blocky, I was sick while writing this:P Let me know what you think and thanks for reading! :)** **On a side note, have you noticed the small hints towards a certain Greek myth? ;) -Maggie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Life is a balance of holding on and letting go. **  
**-Rumi**

**Before:**

_"And it burns, burns, burns..."_  
Johnny Cash echoed on the radio, and Zed smiled at Terra from the driver's seat. This was their song. On road trips he played it over and over and made her sing along. But today by the magic of the universe it came on the radio on the commute back from Denver, like it knew they were listening. She mouthed the words and glanced out at the Coloradan landscape, the mountains in the West watching over her like a wall. The sun began to set behind them, creating a blinding explosion of light that seemed to be just for her.

"... I went down, down, down and the flames went higher-" Zed sang in his best representation of Cash's rolling deep voice. After a minute Terra turned down the volume, and Zed glared at her, annoyed by the interruption.

"Hey! What's the deal?"

"We should get out of here." She said, a slight quiver in her breath, like she was being backed into a corner or something.

"What? What do you mean?"

"We should take a trip somewhere..."

"What, like Hawaii? Now?"

"I just think... it might be nice, you know?"

"Well... Money isn't as tight as it used to be, hell I think we're doing pretty well for two college grads. What about your flower shop? Can you just leave it?" He meant _he _was doing well. He was a lawyer ... a very, very good lawyer.

Her voice grew with tension, "The flower shop will be just fine. I just - I just want to leave."

He sensed that something was off with her, she was never this easily agitated."What's the matter? Don't you like it here?"

"I like everything just fine. Everything is perfect." She said it, but she didn't mean it. In fact, for a long time, a hatred had been growing inside her. It was hard to explain. Zed was so perfect, so successful... but she was so ordinary. She was just a girl who owned a tiny flower shop downtown that rarely got any business. It was like he was dating her as an act of charity. Life had become a monotone cycle of hell, and it was suffocating her. She loathed herself, and she was beginning to loathe Zed. She couldn't think of any reason why Zed should be interested in her. He was wasting his time.

"Okay, okay - sheesh... I'll say this, you point to anywhere on the map and we'll go there. You and me, me and you on another adventure." He turned the volume back up.

_"...the ring of fire, the ring of fire."_

Her face lit up. "Really?" Going anywhere, doing anything was better than being so ordinary every waking minute.

"Sure, baby."

She looked back out the window, the sun finally fallen behind snow-capped Rockies.

**Now:**

Terra sat in the sand and pulled her hair. It had been at least three hours since she stormed off from the shack, and Vaas would find her soon. She had even bought a sniper rifle, finally, but there was too much on her mind for her to go out and practice. Looking through a scope required that your mind go blank, and her head was about to burst.

She had killed her boyfriend.

She watched him breathe, one final, pathetic, gargled breath. It was her bullets that went through him. Yet instead she wondered why kissing Vaas was what really occupied her mind. Her teeth began to clench together in an effort to contain her frustration and anger at herself.

She was torn between finding humanity and letting everything go... but it seemed like the choice was already made for her, like someone had pushed her off a ledge while she was still deciding whether or not to jump. She felt cheated, used, perverted...  
Vaas and these islands were such a big part of her life now, so much so that killing Zed felt meaningless, the consequences unsubstantial. Was it okay that she was becoming a monster? Was there really any way to go back anymore?

"Hey, you fuck!" It was Vaas of course, "I've been looking two fucking hours for you."

No matter how fast or far she ran, he would always find her. But she didn't really want to run anymore. She had given too much blood to this place...

She said nothing, and didn't even get up.

"What... you not speaking to me anymore? Giving me the cold shoulder?" He joked and stood in the tide in front of her. Some of the water washed blood off his boots back into the waves, like it wanted a taste.

"You wanna know what happened when you were gone, huh?"

She looked down at the sand and prepared for the inevitable lecture...

"The boss came by ..." He folded his arms and waited for some sort of reaction that didn't come, "that's right, Hoyt, he was asking about you."

She expected bad news, but not this. Few things made her catch her breath.

"Why?"

"He was upset about this morning, how you shot one of his men in the balls and left him to bleed out on the concrete. He said he didn't like you wasting his resources. But you know me, I stood up for you. I said, 'no, no Hoyt - the dog deserved it.' He starts wondering if we can even trust you, after all, you weren't born here like me... I assure him, 'Terra won't turn on us, I know her too well,' But then Hoyt says he wants to talk to you face to face..." Vaas knelt down and waited for her to lock eyes with him, "and I said, 'no problem, boss.' - you can imagine how I felt, Terra, when I walked out to go get you... and you weren't there."

"Vaas... I-"

"Nonono- there are no excuses. I don't want to hear any of that shit!"  
He was getting angrier, pointing at her with a shaking finger, veins protruding from his arm. He could kill her right now, if he wanted to, squash her like a bug. "But, I think this time I'll give you one chance to explain yourself, Terra. You better make every word that comes out of your mouth count."

What a challenge, she thought, what a threat. She had no doubt that he could kill her, but at the same time, he had spent an awful lot of time building her up to who she was now. What a waste it would be... A small smile couldn't stop itself from curving at the corner of her lips.

"I needed some air..."

His eyes narrowed as his patience thinned, "Terra ... I don't think you understand-"

"I understand everything, Vaas." She articulated, "You're a drug addicted pirate lord and I'm just a disposable toy. You wanna toss me away? Go ahead ... I won't stop you." She pulled out a knife from her boot and gave him the handle.

"You're fucking crazy, Terra, you know that?"

"Yeah. You said that already... right after I kissed you." She said, her head tilting to the side.

"What? You think that's gonna give you some sort of free pass? A get-out-of-jail free card? You must think I'm stupid if you really believe I would let something like sentiment get in the way."

"I don't expect anything, Vaas. I owe my whole fucking existence to you, you're free to do what you want with me. You made sure that I had nothing to hold on to anymore when I shot Zed. You can't take anything else away from me!" She leaned closer as her voice turned into a whisper, "You can take my life ... but I think that would show too much mercy. And you don't like giving people what they want..."

"You're right, Terra. I don't want to kill you. You're very precious to me, you know that? Even the sand can become a pearl."

"That's very poetic. Does that make you my oyster?"

He handed her the knife back, a big grin on his face, "It's just the truth, hermana."

She exhaled, a little relieved that the tension was broken, but he still had a decision to make, "So what's the deal then?"

"Well, I forgot to mention that we still have more rejects to deal with. The people from the shack have all gone their separate ways, the girls are about to be sold, and we're still holding two of the boys for ransom. Another guy was sold to Buck, I've told you about him right?"

Suddenly it was business as usual, her life was spared.

"Yeah, 'stay away from Buck'," she mimicked his tone and they stood up together, his arm wrapped over her shoulders after she strapped her sniper rifle around her chest, the gun resting on her back. To her surprise he pulled her close and planted a kiss on her cheek, making her lose her footing, but he caught her up before she fell too far. She stared wide-eyed at him, and he smiled back like it was nothing.

"Don't worry, the world may be a diagonal, but I am a balancing point."

"You're full of a lot of shit today, aren't you?" She smiled and suddenly slipped around him so that she could jump on his back and have him carry her.

"Maybe. It's hard to tell."

"What do you mean?"

"There are no reference points. Have you ever known anyone who wasn't full of shit?"

"I suppose not..." She thought of Zed. He had always been good to her, but there was always some double purpose behind it.

"So, philosophically, we could be angels..." He said.

"I don't know about that, Vaas. Lucifer was an angel, wasn't he?"

"Lucifer translates to light-bringer in Latin, hermana. It's all perspective, you see. Light-bringer, Satan, tomato -tom_ah_to."

"Ever thought about writing a book?"

He chuckled and fastened her arms around him as he walked along the dirt path back to wherever his truck was parked.

"Nah, the rest of the world isn't ready for me."

"I agree." She ruffled up his mohawk and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Hoyt's staying on North Island for the rest of the day. You'll still have a chance to meet with him, just don't fuck it up this time."

"Oh, what will I wear?" She joked.

"Your best fucking smile." He said, more seriously than she expected. But it was true. She needed to be in Hoyt's good graces, she had to play the game and win.

**Hey guys! I know, I know, it's been WAY too long since I've last posted another chapter. I'm very very sorry, a lot of big life stuff has been happening so it's been hard keeping up. But I know what Vaas would say, "Nonono- there are no excuses. I don't want to hear any of that shit!" XP **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter:) Feel free to leave feedback of any kind, all of it is appreciated. The story is about to line up with the Far Cry 3 storyline now - I'm gonna give myself a little flexibility so Terra can have more interactions with the other characters, but I'll try and stick to the basic framework of the plot. **


	4. Chapter 4

**It was all very well to say 'Drink me,' but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry. **

**'No, I'll look first,' she said, 'and see whether it's marked "poison" or not.'**

-Lewis Carroll _Alice in Wonderland_

By the time they arrived at the camp the sun had gone down but the sky still maintained a dim glow. Terra had never been to this one before, it was especially larger than others she'd been to. Vaas explained that this was where the money makers were sorted out from the garbage, so almost everyone was filtered through here. Natives and foreigners alike were scattered everywhere while the pirates brutalized them. One pirate approached, cigarette between his teeth, or what was left of them.

"Hoyt is over by the stage." He said and eyeballed Terra curiously. Many of these pirates had only heard rumors of Vaas' right-hand woman, but had never seen her in the flesh. "Is that her?" He asked Vaas. Terra thought it was a dumb question, who else would it be? It's not like Vaas had three other blonde women he towed around.

"Who said you could ask me a question, huh? Back up hermano, get _the fuck_ out of our way." Vaas said after giving the pirate a solid push in the shoulder. The man backed off and shuffled away into some shack with his buddies playing a poker game. "Honestly, I might make every single fucker here chop their dicks off if one of them looks at you like that again."

"That's sweet, Vaas." She smirked. She noticed him becoming more protective of her; first the shack, then defending her from Hoyt's accusations, now this. He said he wasn't one for sentiment, but she couldn't help but start wondering a world where he might find a way to love another human being. It was in him, but it was broken, and perhaps beyond repair. But still, the idea lingered in her head ... Right now they were close friends, in the most twisted definition of it, but was it possible to take it a step further, or would that be falling into madness?

They approached the center of the camp. Leaning against the stage was Hoyt, cigar between his teeth and wearing a black suit with a red shirt underneath. On the stage were men bound and blindfolded, shivering in fear as death approached. All they could do was wait for that bullet of mercy.

"Look who I found Hoyt," Vaas said and pushed her towards him from behind. She fumbled forward and stared at the dirt, emanating a deep uneasiness, but she still maintained a good posture as a result of her training. Even when Vaas was about to punch her in the face, she learned to never cower, and she certainly wasn't about to now.

"Wonderful. I was hoping to have a little chat." He said and puffed smoke into her face as he stepped forward, his South African accent gave him a strange sense of friendliness, but she knew from what Vaas had told her about him that he had no concept of friendship. He might have employees, partners, allies... but not friends.

"I'll leave you to it. I'm gonna go check on the boys."

Terra sent a betrayed glare at Vaas as he walked off. She didn't think he would abandon her. But then again, Vaas had always proved her wrong. She shifted uncomfortably as Hoyt's eyes scanned her body. She didn't know what he was looking for. Perhaps imperfections, or maybe some sign of strength.

"Looks like Vaas has done a number on you. Are all those cuts and bruises from him?"

"Yes." She whispered. A cool breeze suddenly sent a chill down her spine and a distant, blood-curdling scream of a hostage made it worse. He continued,

"Good. Sometimes pain is the only persuasion. But I think _fear _is more efficient, myself. You see, torture someone all day long, beat them senseless and they won't budge, but threaten to cut them open, the fear eats them alive and suddenly - _voila_! They're ready to work. As long as they know what you're capable of..." Pausing he stepped out and gazed blankly at a pirate kicking in the stomach of a native,"Vaas speaks highly of you, Terra. He says you will make us a lot of money, but I have no reason to think the same."

Terra tried her best to manage her temper. "Shall I persuade you?" She said, feeling a little too bold, but there was no taking it back now. His head tilted back in a laugh,

"Ha! Very good, there's spirit in you. But Terra, sweet girl, we have a system around here. That system is sacred, it is the web that holds my enterprise together. People like you and Vaas, you are puppets, and people like me, we pull the strings. I cannot have you killing my men right and left just because it suits you."

Puppeteers had no power without their puppets, she thought, people like her and Vaas were the podium people like Hoyt placed themselves on top of. A king with no subjects was just a mad-man sitting in a chair... Her voice articulated with a flavor of wittiness,"I apologize about this morning. The man's failed attempt to seduce me resulted in a mandatory display of power. I needed the others to fear me. What was it you said? 'Fear is more efficient'. I made an example of the idiot, one death to end all future advancements..."

"Oh, sure, sure - of course. Tell me, Terra - how can you persuade me to value your life over the man's you shot this morning?" Hoyt had pulled out a pistol from his belt and pointed it up against her forehead, "what do you bring to the table?" The strange part was that his voice was still cheerful, but all the while his finger lingered on the trigger, and the cold metal against her forehead brought back memories of her first day here, on a reject stage. It pissed her off. _Anger_, not fear, that's what Vaas taught her. It'll focus you, and give you strength. Was this threat really justified? Why wasn't Vaas' word good enough for him. Clearly she was more useful than most of the henchmen Vaas had hired over the years, she just hadn't been put into practice yet.

She practically leaned into the gun, almost challenging him to shoot her, "Vaas has trained me to kill. I am a weapon. I'll kill a man with my thumb if I have to. I also have the illusion of innocence. I could easily trick tourists into trusting me. People will always underestimate a woman. And didn't you say you didn't like wasting resources? There would be little point in throwing me away now, after all the time and effort Vaas has put into building me up..." her voice had become soft, but all the more intense, "Is that good enough for you, Hoyt? Do these strings look nice to you?"

A small smile curved at the end of his mouth that signified approval, "Very well," He tucked the pistol back into its holster. "How would you like to be compensated, then? Drugs, money, Twizzlers - name your price."

"I don't want any of that. I just want to work."

"Interesting ... you must have some conditions?"

She stood there in her head, wondering what she could get away asking for, material things had become so trivial to her, but she did miss running conditioner through her hair, "a regular shipment of basic hygienic necessities, I want full access to the armory, and ..." she thought a moment more, "-you don't separate me from Vaas." In a strange way, Vaas felt like a safety net. The world was a diagonal...

"Deal." He held out his hand, suddenly turning into a man you would see inside a corporate office, fully professional, no hint that he ran the largest slave, drug, and weapons trafficking enterprise in the South Pacific. Evil was his brand. They shook on it, eyes locked on each other, as if one of them might leap upon the other at any moment. It was clear they didn't like each other, but they allowed a certain amount of tolerance for the sake of the business. There was respect there too. He was certainly a powerful man and used fear well among his subjects, but she had forgotten fear. She did not feel below him.

"Can I ask you a few questions? I want to get a better read on you."

"Of course." She wondered if he would next ask her to clank symbols together and dance!

"So, from what I understand, you were once one of my rejects. But Vaas saw something in you. What do _you_ think he saw?"

It was a good question, and she didn't need to think it over, "A plaything... something to control. Clay."

He did little to acknowledge her answer and went on to the next question,"What were you before you came here?"

"I was a florist." There was no pride in her words.

"Ah -" he smiled, "flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts."

"Freud?"

"Very good! You're intelligent, unlike most of the savages here. One should learn to love books just as much as bombs and bullets." He paused, glancing at her, "I'm starting to like you more and more. Do you think you could tell me whether I should get hibiscus or lily for my office?"

"Hibiscus, definitely."

"You know what, Terra? I might just keep you around. Vaas needs someone to lighten up the place a little, anyway."  
It was a compliment, but there was still a subtle threat behind it. He would keep her around as long as she stayed in line.

"Well, it was a pleasure finally putting a face to the name. I'm going to retrieve Vaas, grab a glass of whiskey, and fly back South. I expect great things from you, Terra. Do not disappoint me."

She stepped sideways and allowed him to pass, her hands clasped together behind her back, and he brisked off sticking the cigar back between his teeth. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder,

"And do not mistake your intelligence for wisdom."

He left and she felt worse than she did before she met him. It was like he was plotting what to do with her in his head the whole time they were talking, _'How can I destroy this person_'. It went better than she expected, she wasn't bleeding in the dirt after all, but perhaps she still needed to be on guard. Hoyt was certainly a master manipulator and she needed to be careful.

She hopped up onto the stage and took a closer look at the rejects. They sat on their knees, some muttered phrases under their breath in a different language, praying to their gods perhaps. Pacing back and forth, a sudden flash of blood lust fell over her, a hunger to end their miserable lives. She hated these people and she couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was because she was sure they never really _lived. _ Their lives consisted of eat, sleep, work, repeat. What was the point of it? How pitiful, how pathetic, she thought, these were no men, they were all food for worms. She knelt down in front of a man at the end of the line. He was a native, his head sweating, body shaking, and he had a locket dangling from his neck. With a quick tug she yanked it off and he let out a little panicked cry, unsure of what was happening.

"Shhh." She hushed as she opened it up at the clasp. Inside of course was a picture of a girl, most likely his daughter. "What's her name?"

The man wasn't quite sure what she was talking about. She struck him across the face, "What's this girl's name?!"

"K-Kaija-" he stuttered.

"Hmm, that's pretty. I bet she's a happy spirit. Is she alive?"

"Y-yes."

"That's unfortunate." She took the man's hand and placed the locket in his palm. Being alive on Rook Islands meant meeting a certain, brutal, and ugly death. The girl would probably be captured, raped, then thrown in with the rest of the pile, or sold into slavery, where she certainly wouldn't last long either. It was more humane to put them all out of there misery. He started weeping quietly, and Vaas finally showed up, twirling a pistol around his finger.

"Hello, sunshine... things go well with Hoyt?"

"I convinced him not to shoot me in the head, so yeah, it worked out I guess." She grinned, but he wasn't as amused.

"Shit - he was gonna shoot you?"

"Yeah, I mean, he wanted me to prove myself under pressure. And I did. No harm done."

"Fuck - I need to stop leaving you alone - put a bell on you or something." There it was again, the desire to protect her.

"It's things like that that really let me know you care."

"Yes, now get the fuck off my stage and let me work."

"Seriously. You're the worst." She grinned and he ruffled the top of her head, then pushed her forehead back so she was forced to jump off the stage before she fell.

"Right now, I want to know why the FUCK you are crying like a little bitch, ey?" He tore the blindfold off the same man and burning wet eyes stared up at him. Vaas noticed the locket in his hand behind his back.

"The fuck is that? A necklace? Fucking hell, who the fuck didn't catch that? I thought we were trying to make money! How much you think this necklace is worth, huh? I want, I want you to guess, okay? Guess, go ahead, I don't have all night." Vaas dangled the locket in front of the man, the picture of his daughter rocking back and forth. No words could escape as fear collapsed his throat. A loud bang echoed out, and the man slumped over, shot in the skull. Vaas went to the next guy,

"Come on, you can guess, right? See, _I_ know how much it'll sell for. But I want to know if any you pieces of fucks can guess." He tore off the next blindfold, and this man was ready, anything to save his life...

"Ffff - five hundred! Five hundred!"

Vaas giggled a bit but shot the man anyway. The blood was beginning to seep through the boards onto the grass below the stage.

"Five hundred, five thousand, five MILLION - " He sighed and took the next blindfold off. This man looked down, eyes shut tight, expecting the bullet in his head any second, but Vaas crouched down. " -you don't get it, none of you get it ... you see, nobody called, nobody wants to fucking pay for you... you are _worthless_." His voice got quieter as he stared at the picture of the girl, "I hear people say all the time, all the time, they say family is priceless, family is priceless - nonono please, bullshit! Family is an anchor, and you are the Titanic."

Boom. One more to go. Vaas leaned over, took the man's blindfold off, "Hey, look me in the eye. That man just got you killed."

A final gun shot blasted and the last man fell over. The entire camp was silent for a moment.

He stood up and paced back and forth on the stage looking at his work, "oh my god, did you see that? Do you realize I just shot them all in sequence? One after the other, I did not do that on purpose."

Terra stared at him, her smile gone. She was stuck in thought now. The one thing Vaas had refrained from sharing with her was his relationship with Citra, his Rakyat sister. The bitch broke him. Whatever she did turned him into the man shooting rejects one by one on a stage, laughing about it. He tossed her the locket and she caught it just in time. He hopped off the stage and walked up to her, as if expecting some praise. But something suddenly caught Terra's eye. Movement beneath the bridge, a head maybe?

"What the fuck are you looking at?"

She smacked his arm and pointed over his shoulder. "Under the bridge, see?"

"What?" He couldn't see anything. She took his arm and they jogged over stealthily. He took a peek and sure enough, two hostages were making their escape.

"Fucking California boys! Come on. We'll meet 'em on the other side."

Together they ran over to a building that had a balcony right where they were making their exit, and sure enough, they had spread a map out on the ground and were trying to figure out where they were. One appeared older, stronger too. The other one just looked scared shitless, like a lost puppy looking up at his brother. Vaas pulled out his pistol and gave it to her, guiding her aim, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"Shoot him," he whispered, his breath soft against her neck. She felt strange, warm with his arms around her. She could only think of it as an overwhelming _calmness_ that came over her - like his arms had created Eden around her.

She pulled the trigger and a bullet went through the older one's neck, the blood spewing out like a hole in a hose. She didn't feel anything this time. Power, perhaps, but no remorse. Vaas took back his gun and began yelling at the one in the blue shirt.

"What, you want to run? Huh? You want to run, you want to disrespect me?"

He desperately tried to stop the life from spilling, but it was useless, and his brother finally went still, eyes wide open, like he was staring into the next world. Vaas let go ,

"You want to fuck with me? I mean, you come here, with your... with your pretty-boy face, right, and your pretty-boy phone, your dimwit brother, and you want to fuck with me? You want to fuck with me?! I like that - no, I _respect_ that. I'm gonna give you thirty seconds, and if the jungle doesn't eat you up alive, I will."

The guy hesitated, his world probably spinning around him, he didn't seem to know where to go.

"Are you FUCKING DEAF? I SAID, GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, YOU CHICKEN FUCK! RUN, FORREST! RUN!"

Vaas whistled and suddenly the hunt had begun, dogs snarling after him, pirates cheering, their guns shooting into the jungle. The poor guy ran, but the hunt was for the pirates' entertainment, not a _real_ shot at escape.

"I want to have his FUCKING head served to me on a fucking gold plate!" He yelled and marched over to a table to refill the ammo into his pistol.

She came up behind him and rubbed his shoulders, "Why so tense?"

"I don't like these assholes fucking with me, is all." he said, turning around to face her, awfully close.

"I know you well, Vaas. No one is gonna get the best of you... except me." She said and wiped a spot of blood off his cheek. He grabbed her wrist,

"I almost forgot, I have a surprise for you. Come on," he dragged her behind him and they made their way to a shack filled with luggage of all the tourists that had been killed and captured. He sifted through the table piled up with phones and iPods searching for one device in particular.

"This is full of a lot of shit, but here you go." He handed her an iPod. It was hers! Her name inscribed on the back. She had almost forgotten about the luxury of music. Happily she scrolled through the albums, everything was still there.

"This isn't a trick is it?" She asked, suddenly aware of the strange kindness he was showing.

"No!" He said, insulted, "I dunno... I can be nice sometimes, can't I? "

"Sure, Vaas - when pigs start flying."

"You're a fucking bitch you know that -" his words held no real venom, he poked her in the sides causing her to jump away, laughing.

"I'm the only bitch you have so keep me close."

"You're the only person I trust, Terra. You're the only one I _can_ keep close." He said, he scratched the back of his neck nervously, "and I'm not crazy, but, you know... sometimes I think _what if_. What if you and I-"

"Vaas," she interrupted, knowing exactly what he was going to say. And it scared her. "I want you to think about it before you make any kind of decision."

He gave her a studied glance, and then giggled - "First you kiss me, then you push me away. What's it gonna be?"

"I know you, Vaas. I'm worried I might not be good for you."

"Terra..." He started walking toward her, getting closer and closer, and to her shock his eyes started to water. He stopped in front of her, his head bowed, like he was ashamed, "I _need_ you."

This was not like any of the playful flirtations he always tossed around, this was his bare soul in front of her, aching. She suddenly wanted his arms around her again, like they were on the balcony. She wanted to get wrapped up in Eden, to get lost in it.

Like a reflex her arm reached out to his chest, feeling the stone muscle behind his red shirt. Magnetically she gravitated towards him, getting closer than she ever did on purpose. In a moment, he looked down at her as she leaned against his chest, their arms entwined. She could hear his heart beat she was so close.

"This is a bad idea," she said.

"Terra-"

He couldn't complete his sentence. She had kissed him. And he kissed back. Their lips collided together, ecstatic, thrilling, disorienting, _intoxicating_. She had fallen into madness, and it felt wonderful.

**Hello again :) I want to thank all of you who have left reviews, favorited, and/or followed my story. It always makes my day and encourages me to write more and more for you. Let me know what you think of these new chapters, are they better - worse? Is there anything you don't quite understand or you think needs clarification? I had a long break between chapter 2 and 3 so I'm trying to get back into the flow. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!:)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

** Odi et amo. quare id faciam, fortasse requiris?**  
** nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.**  
** \- Catullus 85**

Madness is what it was. On the edge of it, teetering from their lips he threatened to push her down a hole of insanity the more he leaned into her. But despite the spell he was casting, the overwhelming pleasure of his touch, his body surrounding her with mountains of muscle, she pulled away, as if awoken from a trance.

"This is a very bad idea..."

"Bad idea? You think I'm a bad idea?" He said, slightly amused. He lips fell onto her neck, more than likely going to leave a bruise. Dizzy, she almost forgot what she was about to say,

"I think we're a bad idea. Us." Like Mentos and Coke. She pushed him away again.

He let out a frustrated sigh, "Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith, sunshine."

He was right. She didn't know why these doubts were creeping into her head. It was just that so much could go wrong. She still didn't want to let him go - he was hers for the taking if she really wanted. He was a box she knew was better off staying closed, but curiosity was a bitch...

"I just don't want things to change. I don't want you getting me out of trouble, or saving me... I don't want to be a burden. If something happens to me, I want you to be able to let go, to move on..."

He ran both his hands through her hair, trying to pull her back in, "fine. As long as you're mine."

She thought more... what would Hoyt think? Surely he wouldn't want his main man getting distracted with her. Would they have to keep it secret? Keeping secrets was dangerous. Word would eventually spread.

"I - Vaas. Maybe we shouldn't."

He glared, like a child just being refused an ice cream cone. He backed up, shrugged, and left, leaving her alone, the small shack somehow smaller without him. She knew this trick. He was trying to work some reverse-psychology on her.

"Think about it!" He called back to her as his voice faded away.

She didn't expect him to give up so quickly and it pissed her off. She folded her arms with a knowing smirk and glanced over at the table. There was a portrait of his sister, Citra, pinned up against the wall. She thought it was strange... certainly he would have used it for target practice by now.

Terra had decided she would find a way to kill the woman. The manipulator, the zealot, the harlot. But Citra had surrounded herself with Rakyat warriors and a thick jungle, so there was little chance of getting to her anytime soon. But as Terra thought, if she put in enough practice with her sniper rifle, perhaps she wouldn't need to get close at all.

The table was full of more phones ... she picked one up at random. The battery was still half alive, and the background image was of a young couple, the guy kissing the woman's cheek in a candid picture. How simple their lives must have been, falling in love. The fall was easy, it was harder getting yourself to jump. Surprisingly there was no password, so she was free to search through the phone...

She dialed her mother's number. It was like a reflex, a muscle twitch she couldn't control...

"Seven, one, nine -" She whispered, her heart racing... she typed in the rest and it started ringing. Three times... five times, the slow tones like sirens. She almost set it down when a voice finally answered.

"Hello? Who is this?"

Terra's throat shut. It was her mother.

"Hello?" The phone called out, the small voice fuzzy from the poor reception.

She stared at the phone, it was like finally making alien contact. It was a different world over there, a different language.

Her voice had withered into a shaky whisper, weakened by old wounds she never intended to reopen. "I want you to know, that ... I'm sorry, and that I'm not coming back..."

"Excuse me? Who the hell is this?"

She hung up and set the phone back on the table, her heart pounding out of her chest. She still wanted to say so much more. She wanted to know why her own mother wouldn't pay a simple ransom. How could money get in the way of your own daughter's life? Had all the good night kisses, all the morning breakfasts, all the carefully crafted braids meant nothing? Vaas' voice echoed in the back of her head, _family is an anchor, and you are the Titanic._

"Making calls home?" A voice came up behind her and Terra swung around to see a pirate standing in the opposite doorway. He appeared younger, had a coltish frame, sun-kissed skin, and he definitely gave off a smug sense of confidence she would have no problem wiping off.

"None of your business, now fuck off."

"You know, a little friendliness goes a long way."

"I'm not here to make friends."

"Looks like you were about a minute ago..." He walked forward, grinning like an idiot with a shockingly white, fully-toothed smile, a contrast she was not prepared for, "you and Vaas? Are you crazy? That guy is insane!"

"I highly suggest you keep your mouth shut before I decide to cut out your tongue, sow your mouth together and wait for you to drown in your own blood."

"Wow, you live up to your rep. It's a pleasure to meet you, Terra." He held out his hand, expecting a hand shake. She stared at him blankly, he had a lot of nerve, and a lot to learn.

"It's just - I'm a new recruit here. My name is Bruno. I heard about you, the guys talk about you constantly so I just wanted - "

"And what do the guys say?"

"They say you're Vaas' right hand woman. That you've been through some brutal shit - is it true he stuck you in a cage with a tiger with nothing but a dagger?"

"Yeah. And I won. So you might want to get the fuck out of my way."

"Miss - it's just. Vaas said I should stick with you, that you would show me the ropes."

"FUCK OFF!"

"Alright. Whatever you say, chief - have a good night, or you know, a _reaally_ good night." He sent a suggestive smirk, and her face flushed red. With one arm she shoved him into the luggage behind him and a few bags collapsed on top of him.

"Do all of us a favor and go drink some bleach."

She stormed out and Bruno, having recovered from the wreckage, watched her leave from the doorway, seemingly unalarmed by the attack. She would definitely have a word with Vaas about him. He must have intended to punish her by giving her Bruno to babysit...

The bodies on the reject stage were being tossed out into a pit and Vaas was talking to a few of his men. She noticed a few bags of cocaine on the wood table next to them, one of them already opened and lined up in rows. He must've taken a few hits because his eyes were bloodshot.

"The THING IS - I fucking told her already, I said 'think about it' - but nononono please, she doesn't think. She doesn't use her FUCKING BRAIN for ANYTHING!"

She stared at his back as he bent over to take another hit. He didn't know she was standing behind him yet.

"And it's not like, you know, it's not like I'm not fucking good to her. I give her everything but still, she pushes me away like, like trash!"

She cleared her throat, her arms folded. He turned around, his eyes narrow and his whole body tense.

"Oh - back already, perra?" He chuckled a little, "I thought I was a bad idea, no?"

Not intimidated in the slightest she edged forward, challenging his posture so that she was eye level, "Obviously these drugs are talking for you."

"Is that what you think, huh? You think this isn't the real me? Just go - I don't want to see your face right now, go. Leave me be, tat-tah, adios, au revoir!"

"Go where?"

"GO!" He pointed to the entrance of the camp. "There's a whole fucking island waiting for you."

"Jesus christ, Vaas. Fine. I'm going. You can come find me, because I'm definitely not coming back here."

"GOOD! Nobody wants you here! Can you believe how she talks to me? No respect-" He turned back to the men around him, and they nodded in agreement, probably just to stay on his good side.

She felt darkness burn in her chest. What was his problem? First it's, 'I need you' with those puppy dog eyes then it's 'get the fuck out of my face'. Perhaps she was right, he was a bad idea, a loose cannon. Why did he need her anyway? She didn't have to be here. He didn't have to save her. Why? Was there an answer at all? She was scared there wasn't. She was scared she wasn't special at all, just lucky, just the accident that manifested from his impulse.

Leaving a dust trail behind her she marched out of the camp, no real sense in where she was going, but having the need to walk. She plugged headphones into her ears and started the 'workout' playlist from her iPod at full volume, drowning out the jungle-noise around her. She honestly didn't care if a jaguar snuck up behind her or not. She was done. Johnny Cash suddenly called out to her, _'love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring. Bound by wild desire, I fell into a ring of fire...'_ She pressed the skip button quickly, intolerant of the stigma attached to the song.

There was only moonlight to guide her now, but she did see a distant torch from the next camp down the road and decided it was as good a destination as any. Shadows began to play tricks on her eyes, and the trees on either side seemed to sway forward as if trying to snatch her into their branches, and brief whispers of wind seemed to pull her hair towards the edge of the jungle. She felt small among the emptiness of the road, the long stretch in front, the deep black sky above her. The walking had soon become a meditation, and her thoughts were coming together easier as her steps started to match the pace of the music.

What had her life become?

She had let herself become part of this. She could've killed herself. She could've tried harder to convince Vaas to shoot her on the reject stage. But here she was, thriving in the insanity of it all. She wondered why she loved this place so much. Vaas had abused her, tortured her, crafted her into a killer - and yet she thanked him for it.

What was holding her back from embracing it? From accepting Vaas? Was it the remnants of morals echoing in the back of her head, the last tendril of humanity trying to regrow?

Terra stopped dead in her tracks. A figure had stepped out into the road ahead, facing her, like a statue, perfectly still it placed itself in her way.

They stared at each other for awhile, waiting for one to make the first flinch. But then more figures appeared, and her heart sank as she realized; it was the Rakyat, and she was outnumbered. Obviously they had heard about her. She had killed a few of them not too long ago.

"Citra wants to meet you, Terra." One called out, "drop your weapons and we will take you to her."

She had a few options; run and get shot in the back, fight and get shot in the face, or surrender and maybe find a way to escape.

"What the hell does she want with me?"

"Ask her yourself." He replied, and they advanced, aiming their guns at her. She was a little flattered that they had brought so many to kidnap her. With some reluctance she stripped all her knives from her belts, her pistol, and her sniper rifle in the dirt at her feet. However, there was still the knife on the inside of her boot that she decided to "forget about" for the moment. They surrounded her as one tied her hands around her back. She could already feel her fingers go a little numb as he tightened the ropes.

"Try anything and you'll get a bullet through your head."

"Now, now - that's no way to treat a guest."

They jabbed a gun into her back, pushing her forward.

"Walk. No talking."

"So serious, you all are."

"I said no talking." The Rakyat behind her slammed his gun into the back of her knee, causing her to collapse into the dirt. To their disturbance she started giggling.

"It's going to take a lot more than that before I start following orders from scum like you."

"Do not tempt me. Get up, we must not keep Citra waiting." He grabbed her arm tightly and yanked her up off the ground. She stumbled forward a bit, the taste of dirt in her mouth.

She held her tongue for the time being... she needed to start scheming an escape plan. She wasn't sure Vaas would be sending out a search party they way they left off. She was on her own this time. 

**What didja think? Leave a review and let me know:)**


	6. Chapter 6

**It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, **

**than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.**

** \- Julius Caesar**

The Rakyat were not warriors. They were soldiers of their cult, false heroes, in need of a cure from their savagery. Yet still they had the power of the jungle in their grasp. Still, they had captured her like a fish in a barrel. Deeper they walked towards Citra's temple, into the heart of their power. The farther they went the more she knew Vaas would not be able to find her. Blindfolded, Terra was lead along the path and soon she could hear stone steps beneath her boots and the soft burn of torches. They set her on her knees after the muffled chat of two people, one a woman's voice. Her blindfold was removed.

She could almost laugh. The temple was a ruin, a remnant of something that might have once been great, but now half eroded into piles of rock, crumbling walls forming an abstract idea of shelter. But yet it was the only real temple left standing on the Islands, a final sanctum. A woman approached, a stately glare in her eyes as she glided forward with graceful steps. Long braids went down her back, a leather shirt studded with golden and silver beads and buttons wrapped around her torso and stopped just above her belly button, and strong legs stuck out of a leather skirt. If the jungle was a person, it was probably her. Strong, wild, and commanding she circled around Terra, a frown of disgust on her lips,

"Look at you! Bruises - scars, everywhere! How do you live like this? Why do you stay with my brother?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you." Like she had a death wish Terra spat just at Citra's feet. One of her men quickly sent the blunt end of his gun into her stomach, causing her to lose all the air in her lungs. She lurched over and took a moment to recover from the crippling pain.

She coughed and despising eyes stared up at the Rakyat through locks of dirty hair, "What a warrior! Beating up a woman with her hands tied behind her back. Truly honorable."

"You will not disrespect my culture, my people, or me as long as you breathe within this temple."

That was asking for a lot. She wondered why she was even being kept alive. She had sent a number of her men to the grave, and that was just training. "What do you want?"

"You are close to my brother. I see it in your eyes. He's picked you up out of the dirt and placed you at his side, but I assure you, Terra, this will only end in your death. It's all he knows; death and chaos! But you, you're more than him. You still have a chance. And you-" she knelt down in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "you have the power to end his suffering."

It was such a nice way to put it. Terra sent a skeptical glare, "You want me to kill him?"

"Yes, Terra. Kill him before he kills you. Imagine what the island would be without his corruption. No more death, no more darkness. Peace at last." She closed her eyes, as if picturing it all in her head.

"It would still be a shithole. Just because you all frolic through the forest doesn't mean you're better than the rest of us. You're nearing extinction, change is train and you're tied to the tracks. Stop fighting it."

"Vaas has blinded you!" She stood back up, waving her arms around as she spoke, "Can you not see what darkness has entered your body? Free yourself from this, join us, help us, and you may take part in the rebirth of this island!"

"Rebirth? There will be nothing to rise from the ashes. You're all going to burn and no gods, no voodoo bullshit can save you. And if you think I'm going to save you, then your people are truly lost."

"I see." She turned to her men, an iciness in her voice, "place her in the prison. We will see if Vaas will come for her. If he does not, we will at least return her body to him," she glanced at Terra from the corner of her eyes, "...piece by piece. It is a gift that we finally have something to hold over him. Rejoice, warriors!"

They cheered, punching their fists into the air.

Joke was on them. Vaas wasn't coming for her, she was sure of it. Of course, this would mean a long and drawn out death. But it was better than Vaas getting himself killed trying to rescue her, the damsel in distress. What a disappointing way to die, she thought.

They picked her up by the feet and under her arms and carried her off into the temple. They swung her into a small closed off room, and her arm bent below her body at impact, threatening to snap. It was void of windows, and as soon as they shut the door there was nothing but blackness around her. She could barely see her own body. She waited for things to quiet down for awhile before she would start making her escape. None of it would work if they decided to walk in at the wrong moment. She had to be careful.

With some effort she scooched herself against the wall in the corner and started to bend and stretch to reach the knife in her boot. It was painful, but she managed to stick two fingers between the sock and the boot, inching her way to the handle of the blade.

Success!

The blade clanked against the stone floor and she maneuvered around so that she could grab it and begin cutting away the ropes around her wrists. There was still the issue of actually getting out the cell. It was a steel door, nothing she could budge with a knife. She would have to wait for someone to enter. With a sigh she sat back down against the wall. If anyone did come, she would pretend her hands were still tied, then take them by surprise. Simple enough.

A long time passed. Hours. A day? Maybe two. Terra couldn't tell. And patience wasn't her strong-suit. The only thing keeping her from losing it was her thoughts, and sleep. Sleep was a medicine, curing her from the boredom. To her surprise, she also found entertainment in singing. She had always secretly took pride in her voice, but never dared sing in front of anyone.

"_Somewhere beyond the sea... somewhere waiting for me_..." She would start, sing the whole song, then start over, like she had OCD.

She began to wonder if this is what death was like... a small dark room with nothing but your thoughts for company. She was also starving ... god... Vaas always had fruit. She really missed fruit. And water! Dammit if she didn't drink soon...

But then the door opened. The light hurt her eyes and she looked away. In the door frame a man stood, not like the other Rakyat but still bearing the Tatau. In fact he was wearing a marine corps jacket, along with tribal necklaces, and a large pair of glasses rested on his nose. He seemed friendly enough and actually carried with him a cup of water.

"Hello, I am Dennis." He said, "Very, very bad news for you, Terra... Vaas has decided you are not worth saving. In truth, I am not surprised." He pulled out a knife, there was something funny about it to him because he started to chuckle in the back of his throat, "Citra has asked me to ... you know."

"What is 'torture' for five hundred?"

"Ha! You," He pointed the knife at her, "you are funny. It's a shame." He knelt down beside her, holding up the water, "here. Drink. I need to keep you alive for awhile."

He tilted the cup so that the water poured into her mouth, but after a second she sprayed it in his face. Surprised and disoriented, she finally had her chance.

She lunged forward and Dennis slammed his head against the stone wall, falling unconscious.

"Sweet dreams." She said and stepped outside the cell. Immediately two Rakyat approached her, their knives gripped heavily in their hands. But she was fast.

Like a viper her hand struck them before they had the chance to jump away, and their throats sprayed her with red mist. Her heart raced, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling... this is where she thrived, in the thick of it. She could thank Vaas for that.

She maneuvered herself silently through the temple and eventually saw the exit. It was just as she turned a corner when Citra, like an apparition, appeared before her and swung a knife straight across her face. She stumbled back, feeling the burn across her left eye, the blood flooding her vision.

"Ahh! Mother f - " The shock of it stunned her as Citra kept a trained knife pointed at her.

"You are a fool, Terra! Prepare yourself for death."

"Fuckin'- BITCH!" The injury only fueled her strength. Terra full-on tackled Citra like a wild animal pouncing on prey. The knife flew out of her hand out of reach, and it was something of an arm wrestle for awhile, but Terra eventually pinned her down. The blood from her wound dripped onto Citra's cheeks. She had a chance to kill her, end her... the power surged through her veins as the faintest hint of fear entered Citra's eyes. She breathed with wild rage, her eyes narrowed with wolf-like ferocity. But she was soon alerted by approaching Rakyat, these ones pointing guns. It was time to run. Citra would live another day.

Terra released the woman then fled as gunshots rang out around her, but she slipped through the entrance door and managed to disappear within the jungle. A bullet had shot straight through her shoulder, but she kept running until she couldn't hear them anymore, then finally stopped to breathe, cursing under her breath.

She hadn't quite realized the damage Citra had done. The gash ran from the top of her eyebrows to just below her eye. The vision was lost permanently. And to make things worse, she might've had poison, or something, coated on the blade. For all Terra knew she had moments to live. She was getting dizzy too, and wasn't sure how much farther she could walk. Like a dream the world began to stretch and shrink around her as she made an indeterminable amount of progress through the jungle mesh, not really knowing where she was going. She leaned against trees for support as she stumbled forward, drunk with blood loss.

Ah, but then a road. Sooner or later Vaas' men might drive by and see her. She could do nothing but collapse in the dirt as her head became more and more fuzzy, her vision fading into oblivion. Still, this was a victory. She escaped without Vaas' help. Now she could lie down and die.  
Her hearing continued while her vision faded. For awhile there was some honking and the distant shouts of men, but that's all she could make out before she fell unconscious.

**xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx**

"Psst! You awake, sunshine?"

Terra stirred in the blankets of her room, her head throbbing, her muscles sore to all hell. She groaned and turned over to go back to sleep.

Vaas pushed her arm, "wake the fuck up, hermana."

She shot up, suddenly realizing where she was and what had happened. In a frenzied panic she felt her face to check and see if the wound was still there. It was. Stitched up, but her vision was gone.

"Heyheyhey, chill, chill - you're hurt, you can't get up yet." Vaas grabbed her chin and made her look at him, "it's okay. It's all good."

"I can't fucking see in one eye, Vaas!" She tried getting out of bed again, but he pushed her back.

"We'll get you a patch. Now sit still, fuck! You ever listen?" He sat back down on the chair beside the bed. A look of relief set over him... who knows how long he had been waiting for her to wake up.

"How did you find me?" She asked, rubbing the sore muscles around her shoulder.

"You were snuggled up on the side of the road and my men got you. What happened? I imagine you went on quite the adventure?"

"The Rakyat captured me, took me to Citra's temple. She wanted me to turn against you, to kill you. Of course, I disagreed so they decided they would use me as bait. When you didn't come, the plan changed. They would have sent me to you one limb at a time if I hadn't escaped. I got this and this on my way out." She pointed to her face and her shoulder, where the bullet went through.

He sat there quietly for a moment, but she could see the anger swelling up inside him. His hands rubbed his forehead,

"I'm going to drive a bullet through her fucking skull... She fucking thinks she knows what's best, nononono please, she fucking thinks she can't take you away from me. I will kill every last one of those fuckers!"

"I know. We will, Vaas. Together." In the back of her mind she wondered again, where did it go wrong between them? Surely there was a simpler time when they were just brother and sister instead of enemies. Surely he used to love her. He must have, or he wouldn't hate her so much. Betrayal doesn't hurt as much if you see it coming, but Vaas... Vaas must have never looked over his shoulder.

Her voice seemed to calm him down. He looked at her, thoughts stirring in his pale eyes.

"I think you will have one sexy scar once that heals up, no? You'll be a _real_ pirate."

She smiled, "Avast ye! I don't really know if I'm that into scars."

"Heyhey, watch your mouth. Speaking of, I brought you food." He turned around and grabbed a tray off the table. Piled with fruit and pork, she almost felt like crying. "Eat up, regain your strength. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Like what?" She asked, mouth stuffed with a mango.

"Turns out, California boy escaped and is fucking with our radio towers. We're gonna hunt him down, it'll be fun. But I want you to come with."

"Alright. Whatever you need boss."

"I need you on my team, Terra."

"Thanks, boss." She smiled, and set her tray to the side and picked at a dried piece of pork. Whatever drugs the doctor gave her while she was out were making her drowsy again, and the pillows looked ever more inviting. There was a silence for awhile, but it was fine. They were just happy to be in each others presence after such a long separation, especially after leaving on such a bad note. The quiet air seemed to be stitching up their wounds, all the previous harsh words and tension dissipating like smoke from a fire. They never stayed mad at each other for long. It was a vicious, wonderful, mad cycle.

"I think I just realized something." She said and looked away, nervous.

"Everyone duck and cover, Terra just used her brain." He teased.

"I'm serious, though. I've thought about it, I was so indecisive before. I was scared I wasn't doing the right thing. And I mean, I'm _not_ doing the right thing. But I'm okay with that, and there's no turning back. I'm not scared of falling. It's hard to explain... I don't need you, and you don't need me ... but I think we're meant for each other. We're a happy accident, Vaas, and I think I'm going to embrace it, you know? I threw a dart at a map, Vaas, and I found you."

"You sure this isn't Earnhardt's good stuff talking for you?"

"Vaas! Just fucking lay down in the bed with me and let me have this moment."

"Sure, sure, whatever you need sunshine. Vaas to the rescue." He crawled onto the bed, kissed her on the forehead and let her snuggle up against his chest. "You're a mess, you know that?"

"I know," she said, closing her eyes, the smallest smile forming, like a hiccup from the lightest reach of her soul. His fingertips traced gently over her arm, and she felt content enough to live in this moment for the rest of eternity.

"By the way, you dropped your iPod. You're lucky I found it before it got run over."

She opened one eye sluggishly, "my hero." She took the iPod and put it on shuffle, the music on low volume. She wanted to hear his heartbeat. Citra had temples... she had armed warriors, But all Terra needed to feel safe was that heartbeat.

"Did you go looking for me at all?" She asked, not really wanting to know the answer, but curiosity getting the best of her.

"No..."

"Good." She said, but still, there was a part of her that felt hurt.

"You have a death wish or something?"

"Sure... if it means your safety over mine. I don't need saving. If I die, then I die. Fucking natural selection at work. Don't you ever try to save me Vaas Montenegro."

"It wasn't because I didn't want to, if you're wondering. I _really_ wanted to."

"Then why?"

"I knew you would come back." He said and intertwined his hand with hers.

"Me too." She said and closed her eyes again as sleep beckoned like a siren song.

The world was a diagonal...

**Hey guys! I sat on this chapter for awhile, it took me awhile to be happy with it. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoyed:) And thank you for all the reviews, they make me happy ^_^ ~ A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard by Jeremy Messersmith is the song that plays when she puts the iPod on shuffle if that interests you. I didn't feel like putting the lyrics in there:P  
**


	7. Chapter 7

"What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams." ― Werner Herzog

**Before**: Sweat beaded off of Terra's face as she cringed underneath Vaas' grip. He twisted her arm behind her, and his knee was pressed into her lower back. The pain was intensifying,and she really had to struggle to contain a scream. She was about to cry mercy when he released her and they both stood up for a final bout, her arms aching to stay up. Today was the longest she had ever lasted so far, and that meant he had to work a little harder today. This was enough to make her happy. These days she was only allowed these small victories, but it was enough to keep her going. It was a thrill to be up against him, it was all she looked forward to. A desire to be in danger filled her up with addictive adrenaline and each dose was a swing at her face or a punch in the gut. The pain converted into fuel, a crazy chemistry she couldn't control. Fear was converted into rage, and it gave her strength. She craved his approval, and the only way to get it was to spill his blood.

"Keep your arms up, up!" He swung again and she blocked, but began tipping back from the sheer force of it. He took advantage of her imbalance and pushed her into the sand, then pinned her down.

"Dead. Slit your throat." He slid his index finger across her neck in an imitation of a knife.

Defeated once again, but she smiled and he laid down beside her in the sand as they both caught their breath.

"You're doing well, sunshine." He said after a moment.

"Don't fucking _lie_, Vaas." She sighed with frustration. She still was getting the shit beat out of her despite her improvements. The black eyes were practically permanent.

"Correction; you're doing better than before. Cheer up." He poured sand over her forehead playfully. She closed her eyes and chuckled, it felt kind of nice. Although, it would be a pain to rinse out the sand in her hair later. She enjoyed the moment of relaxtion, even though her body ached with tense pain all over. The sun was warm, but not blazing. The waves lapped against the shore, a calming rhythm. For once she didn't hear the boom of stereos from headquarters, or gunshots in the distance, or boat engines whirring around.

"Do you want to go watch a movie?" Vaas asked. She glanced at him, he was staring up at the clouds absent-mindedly.

"You ... want to watch a ... movie?"

"Why are you looking at me like I'm wearing a dress?"

"I... Didn't think you ever watched movies." She was containing laughter. His proposal was so sincere, and almost innocent.

"What, because I'm a pirate? I fucking steal shit and people for a living. I've collected a lot of movies."

"You have a collection?" She grinned.

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. I'm just surprised." She turned and rested on her arm. "What kind of movie do you have in mind? Ooh! Let's do horror."

"Horror? I see. You want an excuse to snuggle up to Vaas the Boss." He turned to face her too, and started scooching closer, grabbing her waist. She started to blush and returned to resting on her back. That didn't stop him from getting closer to make her as uncomfortable as possible.

"Look at you! Red like a tomato." He laughed and decided to torment her further by nibbling her ear. That was enough to bring her to her feet.

"Comedy. Let's watch a comedy." She said decidedly, still feeling a shiver on her neck where his breath made contact. He continued laughing, thoroughly enjoying her embarassment.

"You ass." She smirked, kicking sand playfully onto his shirt. He began to return fire but she started running for cover. She reached the edge of the forest, and hid behind a tree, laughing and heart racing.

"I see how it is, sunshine. Coward!" He called, approaching her hiding spot. "Is this the part of the horror movie where you have to hold your breath, and I lurk around, waiting for the right moment to... Pounce!" He reached around the tree to tickle her, but she wasn't there. Terra looked at him through a bush as his composure suddenly turned from playful to angry. She realized he truly thought she had made a run for it. His eyes narrowed, his hand ran through his hair as he franctically scanned the treeline.

"Terra!"

The way he yelled so sharply, she was scared to show herself. Who knew what he would do to her when he found her. She felt like it was the first day on the island again, helpless as dogs caught scent and hunted her through the forest, shaking like a child.

Her fear of him used to be worse. She used to plan ways to kill him. The first weeks were a blurry mixture of paranoia, sleepless nights, and constant plotting. She promised herself that she would never stop trying to escape, but somewhere between all the blood and sweat, she acquired a taste for it and stopped resisting, and started embracing the new Terra. Perhaps this had always been who she truly was, but it took Vaas and Rook Islands for her to realize.

Despite her fear, she slowly stood up raising her hands in surrender and forced a smile, "I'm here, boss."

**Now**:

The world was falling apart. The trees were sinking into the sand while it drained off the edge of the earth like a waterfall. There was no ocean. Instead it was just an infinite black canvas that stretched up into a starless sky. And there Terra stood on quickly receding earth, unable to move or scream. All she could do was bear witness to the unnatural end of it all. Then, in the distance, a human silhouette appeared, motionless, but flickering in and out of reality like a dying lightbulb. It stood there, shadows over its face, head slouched as if ashamed. Looking closer, Terra noticed something in its hand... silver and small. A cutting dread entered Terra, she felt in danger, but inescapably so. There was nothing she could do to fight back, and that's what really terrified her. Slowly the figure raised its arm, now emotionless and merciless. This thing did not care if she died.

Just as it pulled the trigger and a deafening bang shattered the world around her like everything was suddenly made of glass, Terra woke up from the wretched nightmare, sweat glistening on her forehead, heart galloping.

She got up and stared at herself in the mirror and was once again shocked at the sight of the scar. It was still red and pulsating, and the stitches looked hastily sown on now that she really looked at it. Perhaps Vaas had rushed Dr. Earnheart through the procedure. It felt like she really belonged to the islands now. There was no returning to the normal world with a huge scar like this, her blood was in the soil of these islands.

What would her mother think if she saw her like this? No one could ever prepare themselves to see that their baby has turned into a monster. No one expects their little burping bundle of joy to grow up into a bloodthirsty killer who's friends with pirates and an enemy of ancient tribes.

Ah, but what a life. What an exciting existence. Terra wouldn't have it any other way. But still. She sold her soul, she made a deal, and perhaps it wasn't the fairest trade. This scar marked the point of no return, and she was ready to really start playing a part in all the madness.

Vaas was still snoring in the bed. He must've been tired, waiting at her bedside for so long. He deserved a rest. She took a moment just watching him. It was strange to see him so peaceful and disheveled. Heavy, restful breaths in and out, face smushed up against the pillow, hair failing to stretch into its mohawk form. She had never seen him sleep before, and it was a little strange. Perhaps she had placed some sort of divine perception over him, like he never needed to sleep, or eat. How could he pull off looking so perfectly normal? If this had been a few months earlier, she would've grabbed the closest sharp object and stuck it in his throat. But now she thought he was kind of sweet, sleeping so peacefully.

She searched through her drawer and found a fresh shirt and tossed the one covered in blood on the floor. She held in a groan as a shock of pain shot through her shoulder where the bullet wound was, but she slipped on the shirt anyway and left, shutting the door quietly so she wouldn't wake the sleeping beauty.

Even walking was a strange new challenge. For a second she nearly fell over but she leaned against the wall and eventually found her way into the courtyard, straightening up her posture before the others saw her.

"Look who's come back from the dead!" Came a familiar voice. "Over here."

It was Bruno, sitting at a table shuffling a deck of cards with an unlit cigarette between his teeth.

"Thought you were roadkill, nearly ran you over!" He said cheerfully.

"You're the one who found me?" She was surprised, but still not willing to hand out a thank-you quite yet.

"Yup. You know, you really got Vaas pissed off, twisted up. I think he was worried or something. I didn't know the guy was capable."

"Vaas told me he didn't go looking for me..."

"He didn't. He sent the rest of us out on patrols when the second day ended and you weren't back. He stayed here, sniffing up anything he could lay his hands on until he heard the good news."

"He shouldn't have done that. If the Rakyat had any sense they would've attacked while our numbers were down..."

He shrugged and she folded her arms and stood in thought for a moment. They had come so far. There was a time Vaas would've tossed her into the pile with the rest of the bodies if she didn't prove herself, now he was sending out search parties. "You know... I don't know you that well, Bruno, but there's not really anyone else to talk to around here. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure thing, Terra. Shoot."

"Do you think I'm crazy? For staying here? I mean... shouldn't I be dead by now?"

His eyes watched the cards carefully as they overlapped, one after the other between his thumbs, and his voice softened into something more serious and penetrated through the monotonous chatter of high and groggy pirates, "Nah. I think you're one of us. A killer. Except... you're not here to make a living. You're doing it because you like it."

She wasn't sure how to respond. A dark feeling had sunk into her stomach. Was he saying this as an insult to her, or was it respect? Either way, it made her feel powerful. It was good that he recognized this way... The men around here were all brutes, and they needed to be afraid of her for her own safety. But he made her sound so... evil. Perhaps she was evil, but she didn't ask for all of this. Her options since her capture had always been either death by suicide, or survival. She chose survival... was that so bad, even if it seemed like becoming a monster was the only way to survive here? Was it immoral for her to be alive? Not that morality was a high priority these days, but the idea was still a bit unsettling. Perhaps she didn't have any business asking someone so young and stupid such personal questions. She didn't need his opinion.

Bruno set his deck down and stood up, slinging his gun over his shoulder.

"Cheer up, daisy. You're in the right place."

Terra rolled her eyes and huffed. "I'm not going to babysit you like Vaas asked, I think I'll milk all the pity points I can out of these injuries."

He seemed to genuinely think the comment was funny, which was not her intention.

"Yeah, Vaas does enjoy giving his precious sunshine special privileges." He teased. It wouldn't have bothered her so much if he hadn't spoken in such a demeaning tone. He was trying to diminish her authority, and she wasn't about to let that happen. Didn't he know what she was capable of?

She rose and smacked the cigarette out of his hand and grabbed him by the ear, making sure to give it an extra twist. He let out a yelp, completely caught off guard by the assault as she threw him onto the concrete.

"See that blood stain right there? Look at it!"

He looked beneath his hand at the faded stain of what must have been a large pool.

"That's where I shot a guy in the balls. Fucking speak to me like that again, I won't give you the courtesy of using a gun."

He didn't say anything but nodded quickly. This would keep his cocky mouth shut for awhile. A little bit of fear and humiliation does wonders. The others would give him a hard time about this, they were already snickering.

"Get the fuck out of my sight. Be productive. I see you lounging around again, I'll make sure you're scrubbing toilets for at least a year."

He didn't say anything still, but a dark stare fell over his eyes as he got up and headed to grab something from the garage. She folded her arms watching him leave, with an even darker stare. No one would undermine her without consequences. An insult to her was an insult to Vaas too. Speaking of the devil, he joined her in the courtyard, rubbing his eyes and stretching.

"Ready when you are, boss." She said.

"Yeah," he snapped his fingers at two guys leaning against a wall both with red in their eyes, "Get the boat ready. Radio Camp Murder and tell them we're coming." He said with a yawn, stretching his arm over her shoulder at the same time.

"Fuck, you need coffee or something?" She smiled. He groaned and rested his head on her shoulder, pretending to sleep.

Bruno returned with a lit cigarette, and a look of anguish on his face.

"What the fuck is it, Bruno? There's only so much of your face that I can tolerate during the day," Vaas asked, annoyed. In one way it was all in good fun. In another it was a power play. He balanced intimidation and respect well among his men. He wasn't above tossing jokes around, but also not below killing a weak link.

"We just received a message. One of the girls escaped, the blonde. And the outpost near Amanaki hasn't reported in. We think they're dead, but we're still sending out one patrol unit to check."

Vaas began pulling his hair as his rage increased, "Jesus... fuck! She's gone? You know how much money she would've made us, and you just fucking lose her? It's not like there's anywhere to go... fuckfuckfuck! I can't trust you guys with anything, fucking idiots. Well, at least we know where to start looking for California boy... rapido! Bruno, don't just fucking stand there! Let's get to fucking work everyone!" He yelled to the entire courtyard and all the men began to scramble to their feet, looking for something that would make them look busy. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"We'll find her." She smiled softly and reached to rub his shoulders and pressed deep into very tense and large muscles.

She shifted the subject to something else, "Do you think this kid might turn into a real problem?" She noticed his stress levels had been noticeably and understandably rising since the guy's escape.

"He won't last long, sunshine." He reassured her, dark shadows falling over his eyes, a deep, silent anger settling within his gaze.

"Well... you probably thought something similar of me when I first got here, and look at me now."

"He's still fresh meat. He won't last long." He repeated and didn't seem to want to talk about it anymore. "Let's go suit up." She followed him to the garage, where stacks of cocaine and guns filled the room. Really, there was an excessive amount of cocaine stacked up in plastic packages, everywhere. It was practically furniture.

"Here, you'll want this for now. Get used to the sights." He handed her a rather sad looking assault rifle as he slung a shotgun over his shoulder. "Take it easy today, sunshine?"

"Ugh." She sighed and rolled her eyes. She absolutely hated the pandering.

THey gathered a crew and started walking the trail to the shore. She wondered how serious this California kid was. Maybe Hoyt had spoken to Vaas about him, and that's why he's been so unusually stressed about a simple runaway. She still knew so little about Hoyt, esecially in relation to Vaas. She hadn't even been to the South Island yet.

"You ever thought about, I dunno, expanding your power? I mean, Hoyt's great and all, but do you really need him?"

"Are you saying we should kill Hoyt? Are you fucking crazy?"

"No, I'm just putting an idea out there. You scared of him?"

"Hoyt's the one who put me here, gave me all this. I don't really think it's in our best interest to bite the hand that feeds us. That's the end of it."

"I've bitten your hand quite a few times. You _are_ scared of him." She concluded.

He was getting angry again. She saw his fists clench up and he began to speak through his teeth a little more.

"Knock it off, Terra. Are the drugs still in your system? I'm very, very close to making you stay."

"Okay, yeah, I'm sorry. Crossed the line, I get it. Let's go find California boy and blondie." She gave him a pat on his shoulder and hopped into the boat, a little unnerved by Vaas' reaction. She wondered what horrible thing Hoyt did to keep Vaas on a leash, whimpering at the slightest tug. If he wasn't safe from Hoyt, what did that mean for her?

She took a seat and faced the beach of the North Island as the engine revved. Perhaps Hoyt needed to be number two on her hitlist, just below Citra. It would take a lot of effort to infiltrate Hoyt's enterprise on the South Island. Perhaps it was stupid to even think it possible. But perhaps, with Hoyt gone, the lingering darkness over Vaas would be lifted, the strings cut, and he could be... Whatever Vaas is without strings attached. Perhaps that's the version of Vaas, that... On a whim, decided to spare a girl on his reject stage. The version that tells her that he needs her. The version that vows to kill the woman who left scars on both of them.

Perhaps she _was_ clay to him... But instead of a plaything, or a weapon, he was making a ladder.

Hey guys thanks for reading! Please leave a review or email me at maggi3magpi3 with your thoughts.


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